Towel rack



Aug. 1 2, 1 952 o N cK 2,606,667

rowEL RACK Filed April 11, 1949 Michael Ham/ck 3o B Q v Attorneys Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rower. RACK Michael J Hornick, Evansville, Ind. Application April 11, 1949, SierialNo. 86,651

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in towel racks, and the principal object of the invention 1 Claim. (Cl. 211-124) is to conveniently and pleasingly support towels j in a readily accessible manner and without the possibility of the towel slipping or otherwise becoming misplaced.

This object is achieved by the provision of a towel rack which embodies in its construction a pair of supporting brackets, a relatively stationary bar and a relatively shiftable bar supported by the brackets, these parts being adapted to receive a towel therebetween.

One of the important features of the invention resides in the provision of means for supporting the shiftable bar in such manner that it may be quickly and easily shifted and rotated to facilitate application of a towel thereto, but.

another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for locking the shiftable bar against rotation when the two bars are in the towel-supporting position.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its pleasing appearance, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects andfeatures as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction and arrangement of partsas shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary group perspective view showing one end portion of the rack;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a group perspective view of a looking dog used in the invention and of the associated structure whereby this dog is attached to one end of the shiftable bar; and

Figure 5 is a developed plan view of one of the brackets used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a towel rack designated generally by the reference character 10, the same embodying in its construction a pair of horizontally spaced brackets l2, l4, one of which is left handed while the other is right handed, so to speak, but both consisting of sheets of material equipped at one edge with an angulated flange l6 whereby the bracket may be securedby suitable screws l8 to suitable support ing structure, such as for example, a horizontal rail 20.

The sheets of material from which the brackets l2,'l4 are formed are also provided with additional flanges 22, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The brackets l2, M are provided with axially aligned apertures 24 to receive suitable bolts 0r screws 26 whereby a relatively stationary bar'28 may be rigidly secured between the brackets (see Figure 3), the bar 28 preferably being of a polygonal cross-section, substantially as shown.

It should be explained at this point that the bar 28, which has been identified as being rigidly secured to the brackets l2, I4, is to be so secured only in a relative sense, as compared to a relatively shiftable and rotatable bar 30 hereinafter described. That is to say, the bar 28 is not shiftable, but is rotatable on its axis, while the bar 30 is rotatable as well as shiftable. Rotation of the bar 28 is facilitated by providing the ends of the bar with concentric bosses 3.2 which are rotatable in the apertures 24 of the brackets I2, l4, and the aforementioned screws 26 abut the bosses 32 so that the bar 28 is prevented from becoming displaced.

The aforementioned bar 30 is also provided at its ends with concentric bosses 32, these being slidable and rotatable in arcuate slots 34 which extend upwardly from the immediate vicinity of the aforementioned apertures 24 and terminate at their upper ends in substantially horizontal portions or bays 36, as will be clearly apparent. Suitable screws 38 extend into the bosses 32, and thereby prevent the bar 30 from becoming displaced, and it is to be noted that one of the screws 38 carries a locking dog 40 having end portions or detents 42 extending in relatively opposite directions, which end portions are engageable with an angulated stop 44 which is struck out from the bracket l2 at a point immediately adjacent the lower end of the slot 34 in that bracket.

When the invention is placed in use, the bar 30 may be slid upwardly from the bar 28 by simply sliding the bosses 32 in the slots 34, and the bar 33 may be supported in vertically spaced relation from the bar 28 by simply engaging the bosses 32 with the bays 36 of the slots 34, so that a towel, indicated at 46, may be applied to the bar 30, as shown in Figure 1.

Thereupon, the bar 33 may be lowered until the towel 46 is engaged and firmly supported between the bars 28, 30, in which instance the looking dog 40, more particularly, the detents 42 of the locking dog, are engageable with the stop 44, so that rotation of the bar 30 is prevented and the towel 46 is similarly prevented from slipping. By virtue of the polygonal cross-section of the bars 28, 30, the locking of the bar 30 against rotation will tend to similarly lock the bar 28, as will be clearly apparent. However, it is to be noted that when the bar 30 is raised from the bar 28, the locking dog 40 will become disengaged from the stop 44 and the bar 30 may then be rotated as desired for the purpose of applying or removing the towel.

The locking dog 40 and stop 44 may be provided at either or both ends of the rack, and if desired suitable end caps or covers 48.provided withamarginal flange 50 as shown in Figure 2, may be applied to the brackets l2, l4, for the purpose of enclosing the mechanism on the brackets, this being effected by simply mounting the flange 50 of the covers 48 on the aforementioned flanges 22 of the brackets, so that the covers are frictionally retained in position.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention'will be-readily apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having describedthe invention, what is claimed as newis:

In a towel rack, the combination of a pair of horizontally spaced brackets, a non-rotatable polygonal bar extending between said brackets, a pair of fastening elements provided in said brackets adjacent lower edges thereof and rigidly seing stop provided on one of said brackets adja- .cent the lower end of the slot therein, and a radiallv projecting dog secured to one of the bosses of the second bar, said first-mentioned and second-mentioned bars being spaced forwardly from rear edges of said brackets and said dog being adapted to abut said stop when the second bar is in its lowered position whereby to lock the second bar against rotation.

MICHAEL J. HORNICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 916,417 Burton Mar. 30, 1909 1,248,732 Shave et al. Dec. 4, 1917 1,800,030 Reynolds Apr. 7., 1931 2,056,878 Wineholt Oct. 6, 1936 2,396,751 Resnick Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 510,201 ."Great Britain July 28, 1939 

